Given name & surname
Buddy
“one who is brotherly”
Buddy is a variant of Bud. One English interpretation is “one who is brotherly.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Buddy is a variant of Bud. One English interpretation is “one who is brotherly.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Buddy is a variant of Bud. A possible origin is Scottish Gaelic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1893. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Buddy through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 22,585
- 22,540 boys · 45 girls
- Most popular year
- 1935
- 604 babies
- 2025
- 23
- #4,418 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +28%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 23 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,418 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 28.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 604 in 1935. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,012 as a first name in 2020; 275 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Buddy’s family of names
Buddy has a related form in Bud. In English usage, Buddy has an alternative spelling in Buddie. In English usage, Buddy has a related form in Buddie.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Buddy
- Buddy EbsenAmerican actor and dancer (1908–2003)
- Buddy HieldBahamian basketball player (born 1992)
- Buddy MacKayAmerican politician (1933–2024)
- Buddy MilesAmerican rock and funk drummer (1947–2008)
- Buddy Van HornAmerican stunt coordinator and film director (1929-2021)
- Buddy DeFrancoAmerican jazz clarinetist and bandleader (1923–2014)
- Buddy BaerAmerican boxer (1915–1986)
- Buddy Adlerfilm producer (1909-1960)
- Buddy RoemerAmerican politician (1943–2021)
Characters named Buddy: Buddy (warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Buddy, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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